Do Public Tears Make Good Politics?

By Bruce Morton/CNN

WASHINGTON (June 12) -- "Tears, idle tears," the poet Tennyson wrote. "I know not what they mean." But are they good politics?

When Sen. Robert Dole stepped down from the Senate this week, he was near tears. "The Bible tells us, 'To everything there is a season,'" he said, choking back emotion, "and I think my season in the Senate is about to come to an end."

He has cried in public before. It happened in Russell, Kan., his hometown, when he was Gerald Ford's running mate in 1976 (128K WAV sound).

He was talking about his recovery for war injuries. "When I needed help, the people of Russell helped. And I...." He had to stop and compose himself.

In Russell again this year, after he clinched the Republican nomination, he was near tears again. "So at this moment, I wanted to be home, to come to this place and see all my friends..."

Democratic candidate Ed Muskie choked up attacking a New Hampshire publisher who'd criticized his wife back in 1972 (64K WAV sound). "Fortunate for him he's not on this platform," Muskie said. "A good woman."

The consensus was, that hurt Muskie. Real men didn't cry, at least not in 1972. Richard Nixon almost broke down when he resigned the presidency.

And Rep. Patricia Schroeder (D-Colo.) was criticized as lacking toughness when she tearfully decided not to run for president in 1988 (192K WAV sound).

"I could not bear to turn every human contact into a photo opportunity," she said, dabbing tears from her eyes, "nor could I bear to be separated by people who were well-meaning but trying to protect me."

And Dole? Maybe a wounded veteran can cry before the hometown folks who gave dimes and dollars to help him heal. President Bill Clinton drew criticism when he seemed to fake grief at services for the late Commerce Secretary Ron Brown.

Veteran politics watcher Jimmy Breslin says tears make no difference.

"I can't believe Clinton when he looks me in the eye. I don't know what it is he's saying. But it doesn't matter, because I'm not going to vote for Dole, and neither does anybody else, no matter whether Dole cries, smiles, chortles, moans," Breslin said. "It doesn't matter."

Maybe. But in the Book of Psalms it says, "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." Whatever that means.

This story originally appeared on CNN's "Inside Politics."

Do Public Tears Make Good Politics?

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